AUBURN, Wash. - Championship honors will be on the line in Saturday's $100,000 Gottstein Futurity, a 1 1/16-mile race that has drawn a field of 10.

With no two-time stakes winners among the 2-year-olds this year at Emerald, any of three stakes winners in the Gottstein field would be assured of a divisional title with another score on Saturday. The three are Tom Two, a front-running winner of the 6 1/2-furlong Strong Ruler Stakes in August, and the Jim Penney-trained duo of Schoolin You and Chestnut Lady, both winners of one-mile stakes here last month.

LAUREL, Md. - Last Saturday, Presidentialaffair seemed perfect. Now, trainer Martin Ciresa hopes the glue hasn't dried on his project.

For all the trainers in the rescheduled Maryland Million, waiting a week has been a hassle. For Ciresa, it's been torture. That's because Classic favorite walks a fine line between boil and burn. His physical problems and difficult behavior turn every day into a question. Ship him to the races, turn around, wait a week, and do it all over again - go ahead and grab that dragon by its tail.

EDMONTON, Alberta - Vancouver invader Notis Otis missed out on several lucrative opportunities in Western Canada after coming down with a vicious virus last spring. On Saturday, Notis Otis will challenge Alberta's top 3-year-olds in the $50,000 Western Canada Handicap here at Northlands Park.

Notis Otis won the Hastings Sophomore and an allowance and finished third in the Richmond Derby once he got back into action.

With Quincy Welch aboard, Notis Otis is the 122-pound topweight here in the field of 11. A front-runner, Notis Otis has post 2 for the 6 1/2-furlong sprint.

The abbreviated 2005-06 Fair Grounds season, just more than five weeks away, comprises just 37 racing days, but the meet will be packed with 34 stakes worth $3.5 million.

The weeklong rain in the New York metropolitan area continued to take a toll on The Meadowlands, as the track on Thursday announced cancellation of its Friday night card.

The latest rain-out is the third straight full card lost because of the uneven condition of the racing strip.

The problems began Oct. 8 when The Meadowlands ran only one race before canceling. The track got in three races on the Tuesday matinee before the jockeys decided the track was unsafe.

Despite his gaudy 8-for-10 lifetime record, Forest Park has yet to face the East Coast's top sprinters. Assuming he runs well in Saturday's $100,000 Vincent A. Moscarelli Memorial at Delaware Park, Forest Park will dive into much deeper waters.

Trainer Mike Pino, who admits he has pampered so far by picking his spots, has Nov. 19 circled on his calendar. That's the date of the Grade 1 Frank De Francis Memorial Dash at Laurel Park.

The Meadowlands Racetrack will try to salvage one full program this week with a Saturday night card that features the $55,000 Miss Liberty Stakes.

The Meadowlands ran only three races Tuesday afternoon and lost the Wednesday through Friday night cards because of persistent rainfall in the New York metropolitan area.

The race office advised horsemen at the time of entry Thursday morning that the Miss Liberty Stakes, a mile and 70-yard race for 3-year-old fillies, was shifting to the main track.

MUSKEGON, Mich. - The Michigan Sire Stakes will be run for the 21st time on Saturday evening at Great Lakes Downs. The Sire Stakes are the highlight of the state's racing calendar and offer more than $750,000 in purse money.

The six divisions of the series, which is for the progeny of Michigan stallions, begins with the fourth race on the 10-race card, which starts at 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

New Mexico's handicap division just got deeper. Perfect Moon has been imported to the state from Southern California after being claimed out of his last start, and on Saturday he will take on Mr. Trieste, who has won his last five races, in the $60,000 Kachina Handicap at Zia Park in Hobbs.

The one-mile race drew a field of 10.

Perfect Moon last raced at Del Mar on Sept. 2, finishing fourth in a six-furlong race that went in a quick 1:09.40. He was claimed for $50,000 out of the race by Henderson Stables and is now in training at Zia with Chris Hartman.

One race may provide affirmation. The other, clarification. Turf Paradise's two divisions of the $35,000 Arizona Thoroughbred Breeders Association Fall Sales Stakes over six furlongs brought out large fields of 2-year-olds who had been consigned to the breeders association's 2004 fall sales. The filly division (race 7), brings out 11, headed by Queen Razyana, smashing winner of an allowance race here Oct. 1, while the colt-and-gelding division (race 8) features a full field of 12 still sorting themselves out.